The Republic of Kosova is an independent country created by the will of God, America and the Albanian people
By Agim Aliçkaj
President Trump’s recent statements, which mention Kosova and Serbia several times, have sparked a huge debate in Kosova and elsewhere. In his last press conference he said: “Serbia and Kosova were heading towards a big war. I told them, if you go at it, there will be no more trade with the United States. They said: Maybe we won’t go at it.”
Everyone is interpreting them in their own way, according to their own interests. But almost everyone agrees that Mr. Trump is unpredictable.
Some believe that this means that Serbia was about to attack Kosova these days, but Trump stopped it.`
I think that Trump, in the context of current conflicts, said this to show himself as a leader committed to peace everywhere in the world, aiming for the Nobel Peace Prize.
I don’t think Trump has time to deal with Kosova and Serbia in the short term. He has much bigger problems, like the war in Iran, Ukraine and Palestine, plus the internal problems of the US.
Kosova is a peaceful country where law and democracy work, where minorities enjoy national and human rights like nowhere else in the world. The northern part of Kosova has been almost completely calmed down, thanks to the just and courageous actions of the Kurti government in the last four years. Gangs of the autocratic Vučić regime have been captured or expelled from Kosova, most recently the hate activist Aco Arsenijević.
NATO soldiers, including Americans, are in Kosova and guard its borders. They know that in the event of Serbian aggression against Kosova, Southeast Europe will be drawn into conflict. This makes Serbian threats insane and worthless. Its capabilities to commit terrorist acts in Kosova have been significantly reduced after the destruction of the criminal group of terrorist Radojcic.
However, there is no doubt that at a more convenient time, once the current wars are brought under control, President Trump’s administration will return to the final resolution of the conflict between Kosova and Serbia. Kosova must be ready for this. Calm in the North and throughout Kosovo, as well as the rapid establishment of governing institutions, create a much more favorable position for Kosova.
It appears that he has the problems of the Balkans on his mind and on his agenda. This is also evidenced by the continuation of the “National Emergency Act Regarding the Western Balkans”.
In this regard, President Trump may have a chance to make lasting peace and create history in the Western Balkans. He may be able to save the Serbs from themselves, open the eyes of the Serbian people, free them from myths like Vidovdan and hatred for others, help them understand that they are not victims. Their regime in their name has caused and lost four wars and committed two genocides against the Albanian and Bosnian people.
He may be able to help them understand that they have lost Kosova forever through war. The Republic of Kosova is an independent country created by the will of God, America and the Albanian people. This has also been confirmed by the International Court of Justice in Hague. Kosova is recognized by more than 110 countries around the world and is eternal.
He may be able to put an end to the illusory Serbian hopes for a greater Serbia, remind Serbs that Kosova is America’s child and, in the event of aggression, will be protected by America. This is the only way to achieve lasting peace in Southeast Europe.
Strangely, several media outlets in Kosova have reported, based on their “sources within the Trump administration,” that American officials are “unhappy” with the statement by acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in which he praises the American role, but draws attention to the failures of the Serbian regime and specifies the conditions that must be met to solve the problem. This is pure deception, from dubious sources, when it is known that Mr. Kurti has not presented conditions for America, but for the Serbian chauvinist regime of Vučić.
Even worse, the claims of some of Mr. Kurti’s opponents that Trump prefers a government without Prime Minister Kurti are naive and ridiculous. I am convinced that he, for many reasons, does not deal with names, but leaves it to the majority of the people of Kosova to decide who should lead Kosova. Of course, he prefers a strong government that knows what it wants and works with dedication to achieve it. He has neither the time nor the nerve to deal with corrupt, servile and lazy people who expect America to fix all their affairs.
Frankly, in my opinion, the conditions for capable, strong and determined leaders are currently best met by the incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti and President Vjosa Osmani, with some of their associates. I am sorry to say that most of the opposition leaders do not meet the basic conditions for the defense and building of the state. They need to change and become better than Kurti to gain the support of the people and then perhaps even that of President Trump.
Since Serbia is seeking war, while Kosova wants peace, I think that when the time comes for Trump to deal with the resolution of the conflict between Kosova and Serbia, he will lean more towards peace, that is, towards a pro-American Kosova. Whereas, if he happens to think about Kosova’s leaders, his preference will be for those who serve the people of Kosova, who work hard and say: “Kosova first” and “Make Kosova great.”
Ultimately, this depends largely on the commitments, attitudes and actions of the political class of Kosova and each one of us. The minimum that is expected from us is to learn one thing from the Serbs, to fight for our ancestral land with the same strength and dedication as they fight for the grabbing of the lands of other peoples.